Even with a heart of stone, one could not fail to be moved at the killing of innocent men and women, but especially children, in the Israel onslaught on the people of Gaza.

During the Troubles explosives and arms were often found in schools and homes, and church grounds were used to launch attacks on our security forces who never attacked those sites as the Israeli forces are now doing in Gaza.

That is because the world's most professional army acted within the rule of law, unlike the Israelis today.

Two questions arise. Firstly why is there no condemnation of the disproportionate violence in the illegal collective punishment of the Gaza population by our church leaders?

Secondly, why are many "loyalists" flying the Israeli flag on their social media sites and elsewhere? What is it they admire about Israel?

Contempt for the Geneva convention and international law: their illegal occupation of Palestinian land; internment without trial: collective punishment of the guilty and the innocent; or the denial of human rights? This really does tell us a lot about their psyche.

To fly the Israeli flag alongside the Union flag which represents the rule of law or indeed alongside flags representing the RUC or any British army regiment is profoundly and deeply offensive and those who do so have much of which to be ashamed.